1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise devices and more particularly to an exercise platform permitting the user to jog in place when indoors. The exercise platform of present invention provides an increasing resistance to deformation as the amount of deformation of the platform increases, and a support assembly provides a variable amount of support for the exercise platform so that the rebounding action of the exercise platform can be varied.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In recent years, the general public has become more concerned with health issues. Increased pollution and recent awareness regarding heart disease now make aerobic exercise in a clean environment a necessity. Some common forms of aerobic exercise include running, jogging, walking, and choreographed movements referred to as “aerobics”. Aerobic exercise enhances the heart and lungs and, with a proper diet, may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
When running or jogging, it is common for exercisers to simply go outdoors and jog or run for a predetermined distance. In many locations, this form of exercise is really only practical during the warmer months of the year, and in clean, safe areas. It may be difficult for a user living in a city environment to find an area to comfortably run or jog for an extended interval, over long distances. Some health clubs and centers now provide indoor running tracks, but these facilities are usually expensive to use.
Users hoping to exercise year round without incurring the costs of joining a health club are using in-home running apparatus of two basic designs. The first is the moving web treadmill type that actually gives the user the sensation of striding forward, but requires a power source, has many moving parts, and has proven to be expensive and often unreliable.
The second in-home running apparatus is the “in place” jogging type apparatus which may have a resilient yielding surface simulating a running track. A resilient yielding surface may force the user to engage in greater up and down movement during exercise, and the up and down movement of the torso or center of gravity of the body results in greater energy expended during exercising. This, in turn, results in greater aerobic output within a shorter period of time.
An example of an “in place” type jogging apparatus incorporating a resilient yielding surface structure can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,222. The '222 device discloses an “in place” jogging apparatus including a pair of separate, flexible and deformable fluid filled volumes which are confined in an enclosure and react reciprocally to each other as body weight is applied alternately to each volume. Production and design costs make such an “in place” type jogger quite expensive. In addition, the yielding of the surface may not be a natural one that could, for example, cause back problems in the user. Further, depending on the size and weight of the user, a device like that of the '222 patent could be susceptible to damage (i.e. bursting of the volumes). Finally, an “in place” type jogger is subject to natural wear and tear from long-term use and is not readily adaptable to permit a user to tailor the resilient character of the jogging surface. Other devices have provided bladders or containers filled with sand, or the like, but they are heavy and messy. In addition, none of these devices is portable, and so are not well suited for taking to a hotel room or the like when traveling.
Other surfaces have proven unsuitable for other reasons, for example, a user needs an exercise or jogging surface to be stable, so the user won't readily fall off when working out, and it must be quiet when in use, since apartment dwellers, in particular, need to avoid disturbing their neighbors in adjacent spaces. Finally, users want to avoid cluttering up their apartment or home with large, bulky equipment.
Other devices are known that provide support for indoor exercise. For example, trampolines, mini-tramps, springboards and other similar structures having a very high degree of rebounding action are known. These devices enable a user to practice maneuvers such as flips, jumps and turns with great ease due to their high degree of resiliency. However, trampolines and the like cannot effectively be used for exercising by jogging in place when away from home (e.g., when in a hotel room), due to their size and lack of portability. Furthermore, because trampolines rebound over a large displacement distance, they do not provide a firm enough surface to support the user during running or jogging exercise. As a result, the user cannot maintain the proper control necessary to perform the exercise correctly and safely.
There is a need, therefore, for an exercise device that overcomes the problems of the prior art.